Former President Donald Trump kicked off his 2024 US presidential campaign on Saturday, visiting New Hampshire and South Carolina, two early-voting states in the United States. He hit the campaign trail for the first time after announcing his bid to reclaim the White House in next year's election.
Trump brushed aside the criticism that his run was off to a slow start, telling a small crowd in New Hampshire, "I'm more angry now, and I'm more committed now, than I ever was."
Unlike his usual raucous rallies in front of thousands of supporters, Saturday's events were notably muted. In Columbia, South Carolina, Trump spoke to about 200 people in the state's capitol building, with Governor Henry McMaster and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina flanking him.
Despite being the undisputed center of gravity in the Republican Party, an increasing number of elected officials have expressed concerns about Trump's ability to beat Democratic President Joe Biden in the next presidential election. Many Republicans are considering whether to launch their own White House bids, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is seen as the biggest threat to Trump.
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Top Republicans in both states that the former president visited - including New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley - are among those weighing bids of their own.
There were several conspicuous absences in South Carolina, including the state party chairman, five Republican U.S. representatives from the state and South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott, who has himself been floated as a potential Republican presidential candidate. Trump attempted to allay those concerns, telling the crowd that he expected a wave of additional endorsements from South Carolina's state and federal lawmakers within days.
At both stops on Saturday, Trump echoed some of the themes that animated his 2016 campaign, including sharply criticizing illegal immigration and China. But he also emphasized social issues, perhaps in response to DeSantis, whose relentless focus on culture wars has helped build his national profile.
In Columbia, the former president railed against transgender rights and the teaching of critical race theory, a once-obscure academic concept that has sparked school board protests and classroom bans in some states.
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Trump did not spend much time on his grievances about the 2020 election, though he made allusions to his false claim that the election was stolen from him, calling the election "ridiculous." Since launching his campaign in November, Trump has maintained a relatively low profile. He called multiple conservative Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives in early January to persuade them to vote for Kevin McCarthy, an ally, as the new speaker. Most brushed off his entreaties, though McCarthy was elected to the position after a bruising battle.
